NORFOLK, Va. — The number of people dying of drug overdose has declined by 23% over the past year in Virginia, Attorney General Jason Miyares said during an event in Richmond Tuesday morning.
State leaders attribute the drop to the fact that treatment options like Narcan are widely available across Virginia.
Narcan can stop an overdose from happening.
Watch related coverage: Fatal drug overdoses are falling in Virginia, North Carolina. Here's why.
In addition, they said public awareness campaigns have made people realize that "One Pill Can kill."
"Never did I dream that I would use the word optimistic and Fentanyl in the same sentence, but this morning I stand here hugely optimistic about the work that the Commonwealth of Virginia is doing collectively," First Lady Suzanne Youngkin said.
Still, overdose deaths have taken their toll on the Commonwealth. More than 9,000 people died due to drug overdoses between 2020 and 2023, Miyares said.
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With the fall this year, Miyares said it was the third largest decrease in the country.
"Our work doesn't stop today, but it in fact means it's time to re-double our efforts because what we have demonstrated is that what we are doing works," said Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-Virginia). "We just need to do even more."
